TL;DR: Fire door compliance in a block of flats means meeting the duties in the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. For buildings over 11 metres, the Responsible Person must check all communal fire doors quarterly and use best endeavours to check flat entrance doors annually. All blocks must give residents fire door information. The duty sits with the Responsible Person even when a contractor does the work. This guide explains the rules, the checks, and remediation.
The fire door is the most overlooked safety feature in a block of flats, right up until it fails. A door wedged open for convenience. A self-closer that no longer pulls the door shut. A gap at the edge wide enough to post a letter through. Each of these quietly defeats the door's entire purpose, which is to hold back fire and smoke long enough for people to get out.
Since the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, fire door compliance is a specific, scheduled legal duty, not a once-a-year glance on the way past.
This guide is for the people who carry that duty: RMC and RTM directors and freeholders who are the Responsible Person for their building, along with the managing agents and leaseholders around them.
It matters particularly in Bristol because most blocks here sit below 18 metres, which means the duties for buildings between 11 and 18 metres are the ones that apply most often, and they're widely misunderstood.
Below, we cover the legal duties and how often checks are needed, who is responsible, what a fire door check actually involves, the most common defects, what to do when a door fails, and how to keep records that prove compliance.
What Does Fire Door Compliance Actually Require?
Fire door compliance for blocks of flats is governed by the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. In all multi-occupied residential blocks, the Responsible Person must give residents information on the importance of fire doors. In buildings over 11 metres, they must also check all communal fire doors at least quarterly and use best endeavours to check flat entrance doors at least annually.
The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 are regulations made under the Fire Safety Order that introduced specific fire door check and information duties for blocks of flats, in force from 23 January 2023. They implement key recommendations from the first phase of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
What A Fire Door Does
A fire door is a door engineered to resist the spread of fire and smoke for a set period, holding it back to protect escape routes and buy time to evacuate. You'll see ratings like FD30 and FD60, meaning the door is designed to resist fire for 30 or 60 minutes. A fire door works by compartmentation: keeping fire contained in one part of the building so the stairwells and corridors stay usable while people leave. That only works if the door is sound and closed.
Why The Rules Changed
The scheduled check regime exists because fire doors were too often neglected, with defects going unnoticed for years. After Grenfell, the law was tightened to make fire door condition a regular, recorded duty rather than an afterthought. Fire door compliance is now one part of a wider set of building safety obligations that fall on whoever manages the block.
How Often Must Fire Doors Be Checked?
For blocks over 11 metres, the Responsible Person must check all fire doors in the communal areas at least every three months, and use best endeavours to check flat entrance doors that open onto common parts at least once a year. For blocks under 11 metres, there is no set inspection frequency, but fire door condition must still be addressed through the fire risk assessment.
| Building height | Communal fire doors | Flat entrance doors |
|---|---|---|
| Under 11 metres | No set frequency (covered by the fire risk assessment) | No set frequency (covered by the fire risk assessment) |
| 11 to 18 metres | At least every 3 months | Annual, on a best-endeavours basis |
| 18 metres and above | At least every 3 months | Annual, on a best-endeavours basis, plus wider high-rise duties |
Buildings Over 11 Metres
This is the tier that catches most Bristol blocks. Communal fire doors (stairwell, corridor, and riser doors) must be checked at least every three months. Flat entrance doors that open onto the common parts must be checked at least annually, on a best-endeavours basis: a legal standard requiring the Responsible Person to make genuine, reasonable efforts to carry out the checks, recognising they cannot force entry into someone's home. Communal fire doors are the fire doors in the shared parts of a building, such as stairwell, corridor, and riser doors.
Buildings Under 11 Metres
There's no scheduled quarterly or annual regime for blocks under 11 metres, but that doesn't mean fire doors can be ignored. Their condition must still be assessed and managed through the building's fire risk assessment, and a good FRA will set out how often they should be looked at.
High-Rise Buildings (18 Metres And Above)
High-rise blocks carry the 11m-plus duties and a wider set of obligations, including information-sharing with the Fire and Rescue Service, secure information boxes, and monthly checks of firefighting lifts and equipment. Few Bristol blocks reach this height, but those that do face the fuller regime.
Who Is Responsible For Fire Door Checks?
The Responsible Person is responsible for fire door compliance, usually the freeholder, RMC, RTM company, or managing agent in control of the common parts. They can appoint a competent contractor to carry out the checks, but the legal duty and accountability remain with them. A contractor doing the inspection does not transfer the responsibility.
The Responsible Person, under the Fire Safety Order, is whoever has control of the common parts of a building, usually the freeholder, RMC, RTM, or managing agent, and they hold the legal fire safety duties.
The Duty Can't Be Delegated Away
This is the point directors most need to understand. You can pay a contractor to inspect the doors, and you should if you don't have the competence in-house, but the legal responsibility stays with you. If the checks aren't done, or defects aren't acted on, it's the Responsible Person the Fire and Rescue Service holds to account. Delegating the task is sensible; the duty doesn't move.
Using A Competent Inspector
The checks should be carried out by someone competent: with the training and experience to assess a fire door properly. For the quarterly communal checks, a trained property manager or a fire door specialist can do the work. The key is that whoever does it knows what they're looking at and records it properly. Enforcement sits with the local Fire and Rescue Service, which can issue notices and prosecute.
What Does A Fire Door Check Involve?
A fire door check examines whether the door will still hold back fire and smoke. The inspector confirms the certification label, checks the door leaf and frame for damage, measures the gaps around the door, tests the self-closing device, inspects the intumescent and smoke seals, checks the hinges and hardware, and confirms the signage. Any door that fails to close and latch properly is a priority defect.
The Door And Frame
The inspector confirms the door has a certification label showing its fire rating, then examines the leaf and frame for damage, warping, holes, or anything that weakens its integrity. The frame must be securely fixed to the wall with no gaps or separation.
Seals And Gaps
The intumescent seal is a strip around the door or frame that expands in heat to seal the gap and block fire and smoke. It must be present, continuous, and undamaged, and never painted over, because paint can stop it expanding. The gaps around the door matter too: UK guidance is for a consistent gap of around three millimetres around the top and sides. A gap that's too wide, or uneven, lets smoke and fire through and needs correcting.
The Self-Closing Device And Hardware
The self-closing device is a mechanism that closes the fire door fully and latches it automatically after it's opened. The inspector opens the door fully and confirms it closes and latches on its own, every time, from any position. The hinges (usually three on a fire door), the latch, and any other hardware are checked for damage and correct operation. On double doors, the leaves must close in the right sequence.
Signage And Modifications
Communal fire doors should carry the correct signage, such as "Fire Door Keep Shut." The inspector also checks for unauthorised modifications: extra holes, non-approved locks, oversized glazing, or anything that wasn't part of the door's tested design, because these can void the fire rating entirely.
The Most Common Fire Door Defects
The most common fire door defects are excessive or uneven gaps around the door, self-closing devices that no longer close the door fully, damaged or painted-over intumescent seals, doors propped or wedged open, and unauthorised alterations such as extra holes or non-approved hardware. Each one can stop the door doing its job in a fire.
Gaps And Closing Faults
- Excessive or uneven gaps: the most common defect, letting smoke and fire pass around the door
- A failed self-closer: a fire door only protects when closed, so a door that doesn't fully close and latch is effectively useless in a fire
- Binding doors: a door that swells and rubs may not close properly at all
Seals And Modifications
- Damaged or painted-over seals: the intumescent seal can't expand and seal the gap if it's been painted or torn
- Propped or wedged-open doors: the simplest and most dangerous defect, defeating the door entirely
- Unauthorised alterations: extra holes drilled for cables, non-approved locks, or new glazing can void the fire rating
The good news is that many of these are cheap and quick to fix if caught early through regular checks. Left unnoticed, they become both a safety risk and, eventually, a far bigger bill.
What Happens When A Fire Door Fails A Check?
When a fire door fails a check, the defect must be put right promptly, with the priority depending on the risk. Minor faults such as worn seals or a misadjusted closer are quick fixes. Serious failures, such as a door that won't close or a damaged leaf, need urgent remediation. The Responsible Person should record the defect, the action taken, and the date.
Repair Or Replace
Many fire door defects can be repaired: adjusting or replacing a closer, fitting new seals, easing a binding door, correcting the gaps. Some doors, particularly those that are damaged, warped, or were never properly certified, need full replacement with a certified fire door set. The decision depends on the door's condition and whether a repair can restore its rating. Either way, the work must be done by a competent person using approved components, because the wrong parts or poor fitting can void the rating.
When It Triggers Section 20
A single door repair is routine maintenance. But a programme of fire door replacements across a block can cost enough to cross the Section 20 threshold, the point at which a building must formally consult leaseholders before carrying out works costing any one of them more than £250. Larger fire door programmes are also a common reason a block draws on its reserve fund, so they need planning rather than reacting.
The Airsat Approach
When a fire door fails a check on a block Airsat manages, the remediation is carried out in-house through Airsat Construction. Inspection and repair sit under one roof, so a failed door is fixed or replaced directly rather than handed to a separate contractor to quote, schedule, and attend. For a safety-critical defect, that speed and accountability is exactly what you want.
Keeping Records And Staying Compliant
Fire door compliance depends on good records as much as good doors. The Responsible Person should keep a log of every check, including the date, who carried it out, what was found, and what was done about any defect. These records demonstrate compliance to the Fire and Rescue Service and protect the Responsible Person if a fire ever occurs.
What To Record
For each check, the log should capture:
- The date of the check and who carried it out
- Which doors were checked
- The condition of each door and any defects found
- The action taken on each defect, and the date it was completed
A Programme, Not A One-Off
Compliance isn't a single inspection; it's an ongoing programme of quarterly and annual checks, with the records to match, kept aligned with the building's fire risk assessment. That's what the Fire and Rescue Service looks for, and it's what a managing agent runs on the directors' behalf so nothing slips through the gaps. Treating fire doors as a managed cycle, rather than an annual scramble, is the difference between a compliant block and an exposed one.
How Airsat Handles Fire Door Compliance
Airsat manages fire door compliance as part of its block management service: running the quarterly and annual check programme, keeping the records, and remediating any defects in-house through Airsat Construction. Because inspection and repair sit under one roof, a failed door is fixed directly rather than handed to a separate contractor, which keeps blocks compliant and residents safe.
With block management from Airsat, the check programme is scheduled and recorded, the fire risk assessment is kept aligned, and any remediation is delivered by the same accountable team. Behind that sit ARLA Propertymark accreditation, Safeagent and Property Ombudsman membership, and local knowledge of Bristol's building stock, from Victorian conversions to modern mid-rise blocks.
Conclusion
Fire door compliance is a specific legal duty, and for most Bristol blocks the quarterly and annual checks for buildings over 11 metres are the ones that matter most. A fire door only works if it's in good condition and closes on its own, every time.
The essentials are straightforward: know your duties and frequencies, remember the responsibility stays with the Responsible Person, check the right things, fix defects promptly, and keep clear records.
The stakes are real. Fire doors save lives, and the compliance regime exists because they were too often neglected. Getting it right is both a legal duty and a genuine protection for the people who live in the building.
If you're an RMC director or freeholder in Bristol who wants fire door compliance handled properly, with inspections and remediation under one roof, contact Airsat Real Estate, with repairs delivered in-house through Airsat Construction.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Often Should Fire Doors Be Checked In A Block Of Flats?
For blocks over 11 metres, the Responsible Person must check all communal fire doors at least every three months, and use best endeavours to check flat entrance doors that open onto common parts at least once a year. For blocks under 11 metres there is no set frequency, but fire door condition must still be addressed through the building's fire risk assessment.
Who Is Responsible For Fire Door Checks In A Block Of Flats?
The Responsible Person is responsible, usually the freeholder, RMC, RTM company, or managing agent in control of the common parts. They can appoint a competent contractor to carry out the checks, but the legal duty and accountability remain with them. Using a contractor does not transfer the responsibility.
What Is Checked In A Fire Door Inspection?
A fire door check confirms the certification label, inspects the door leaf and frame for damage, measures the gaps around the door, tests that the self-closing device closes and latches the door fully, checks the intumescent and smoke seals, and confirms the hinges, hardware, glazing, and signage. Any door that won't close and latch is a priority defect.
Do Flat Entrance Doors Need To Be Fire Doors?
Flat entrance doors that open onto the common parts of a block must act as fire doors, because they protect the shared escape routes. Under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, for buildings over 11 metres the Responsible Person must use best endeavours to check these doors annually. Replacing a flat entrance fire door usually requires a like-for-like certified fire door set.
What Are The Fire Door Regulations For Blocks Of Flats?
The main rules are in the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, which sit under the Fire Safety Order. All multi-occupied blocks must give residents information on fire doors. Buildings over 11 metres must have quarterly communal fire door checks and annual flat entrance door checks, and high-rise buildings over 18 metres have further duties.
What Happens If A Fire Door Fails A Check?
A failed fire door must be put right promptly, with the urgency depending on the risk. Minor faults such as worn seals or a misadjusted closer are quick fixes, while serious failures such as a door that won't close need urgent remediation. The defect, the action taken, and the date should all be recorded, and large programmes of fire door works may require a Section 20 consultation.
Can I Replace A Fire Door Myself?
Fire door remediation should be carried out by a competent person using approved, certified components, because an incorrectly fitted door or the wrong parts can void the fire rating. A like-for-like certified fire door set and correct installation are essential. For communal and flat entrance fire doors in a block, this is part of the Responsible Person's compliance duty.